Applying high technology to the mission of hunting for strategic minerals in the US

The GEMx mission promises to revolutionize rare earth mining in the US.

Based on the U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1950s, NASA built and used two high-altitude ER-2 (Earth Resources 2) aircraft to study the atmosphere and related phenomena.

These aircraft are capable of flying at altitudes of 18,000 meters and have completed more than 4,500 missions, including ozone layer research and testing new satellite sensors.

Since September 2023, an ER-2 aircraft has been mobilized to participate in the GEMx (Geological Earth Mapping Experiment) mission, carried out in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The mission's goal is to use high technology to search for hidden mineral reserves in the desert, which are extremely important to electronics manufacturing, the US economy and have direct implications for national security.

“The United States depends on a reliable supply of rare earth minerals for economic growth and national security,” said USGS geophysicist Raymond Kokali. “The United States’ untapped strategic mineral deposits require advanced geophysical data to uncover them.”

As part of the GEMx mission, the ER-2 aircraft, equipped with special sensors, will fly at an altitude of 19,800 meters to collect hyperspectral images. These images include not only visible light, but also infrared and thermal radiation bands, allowing researchers to observe “the geophysical complexity behind seemingly simple or monochromatic surfaces.”

The ultimate goal of the mission is national security, to reduce US dependence on foreign supplies of minerals for the production of electronics used in both civilian, dual-use, and military applications.

The US administration is prioritizing expanding domestic supplies with an executive order in 2021 aimed at reducing "overreliance on foreign and rival sources for critical minerals and materials that pose economic and national security threats."

China has now invested heavily to dominate the market for these minerals. According to a 2022 US report, “globally, China has controlled a large part of the market for mining and processing cobalt, lithium, rare earths and other strategic minerals.”

The GEMx project is expected to cost at least $16 million and last until mid-2026.

(according to Securitylab)

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